I fully agree!!!! The thing that really aggravates me these days is that everyone tries to put the blame on everything and everyone else. Life is about choices. Paula's cook book is not the issue, the issue is what the parents feed their kids. Don't buy the book!!!! It is just like people complaining about programs on television. DON'T WATCH IT!!!! Everyone has choices. This country has gotten to the point of extreme. Did people turn anorexic in the 60's because of Twiggy? NO!!! This whole thing is ridiculous.

I am so sick of hearing about the view. Who do they think they are?
It has become all politic . Babara Walters needs to get off television. I refuse to watch it any more.

Actually, it IS happening here in the US. I lost custody of my oldest 8 years ago, when he ballooned out in weight after his father sought custody of his younger brothers but not him...and CPS felt I had "allowed" him to gain this weight. They forced him into a medical program at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto CA, and then 1 year in a structured foster care facility in Vista, CA...and as soon as he turned 18, turned him loose. He now tips the scales at over 400 pounds at the age of 23, and refuses to speak to me or his father, because we "let" the State traumatize him so badly.

HAS ANYONE SEEN MS WALTERS IN PERSON? REALLY? I HAVE. SHE IS LIKE MOST SOCIETY WOMEN OF A CERTAIN AGE IN NY. SHE IS SHRIVELING RIGHT BEFORE OUR EYES. BIG HAIR, TINY BODY.
NOBODY CAN REALLY MAKE ANYBODY DO ANYTHING. DON'T LIKE WHAT U WATCH ON TV, CHANGE THE CHANNEL WHICH REQUIRES U NOT TO HAVE TO GET OFF THE COUCH THESE DAYS, DON'T LIKE THE MENU? DON'T EAT IT.SINCE MOST OF AMERICA IS OBESE EXCEPT FOR BABS NOT SURE WHAT HSE EXPECTS TO DO ABOUT THIS EXCEPT BLOW OFF, WHICH IS HER RIGHT AS WELL.

Why is it that the minority is making decisions that effect the majority? What happened to democracy?

It was also before they started dumping high fructose corn syrup in everything from soup to nuts. We also had insane asylums so the dangerous people were locked up, and away from our kids. There was no Atari, Playstation, Nintendo - we had gym three times a week and the Presidential Physical Fitness Program was in place. We played outside, climbed trees, ate sugar, and never came in the house until our parents had to come looking for us... we also use to actually WORK, not plant our lard-butts in chairs and point and click our way to a paycheck... we also had to change the channel on the television.

Maybe if streets and playgrounds were safe children could go out like they use to and ride their bikes in the neighborhood.

i agree with your comments. i was born in the 40,s. i can only remember 1 person that was overweight in school. there were no computers and kids watched little or no tv(we didn,t have a tv until 1957 and then there was only 1 channel). as kids we spent all our time outside and there were no fast food places. mom cooked evereything from scratch.

Paula Dean doesn't make kids fat. Thier parents do a pretty good
job all on their own.

As a child in the era you are talking about, I was with you until you said "you were thought a moron if you didn't sign up for after school sports". I don't agree with that at all! In 1975 at my high school, there were only a handful of girl's sports, boys had LOTS of option. But, we weren't fat. We walked or rode bikes the 2 miles to school and back each day. We didn't text our friends, we walked over to their house and hung out. But you are right about the school lunches, schools serve WAY TOO MUCH fattening stuff and have pop and snack machines - which we never had - in every building. And, our lunches were served with milk and always a vegetable or a piece of fruit.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that most moms are out of the home and working today. Also children aren't outside playing as they used to. Now, probably, most moms HAVE to work and children are in after school programs also do to the fact that no one is home...plus I believe a lot of parents don't feel free to allow their children to play outside as in those days as mine were. I'm 66 years old and raised my children 'in the old days" of the 60's and 70's when I, very frugally, stayed home with 'the kids." We had zillions of other children on our block, all knew each other and I never had to worry about them being out there. I know times have changed. Maybe these things have something to do with today's obesity in children. My children had no video games or computers and watched TV when they're shows were on. Today there are shows on for children all day long. I wish all moms were able to be there with their kids like I was and all the children could just say "mom, I'm going out to play." My children were very lucky and they've said it.

AND...Mothers, for the most part were home cooking REAL food for their families...Stress adds to weight too...fatherlesshomes and absent mothers and "child care" as it is called( a lie) is adding to the stress of our children...
Kids need parents...Both of them...

People were thinner in the past because our livestock wasn't being treated with chemicals in their feed to bulk them up faster so they could go to marker quicker. Now, we are eating the animals that have been fed that stuff and we are bulking up and growign at accelerated rates because of it.

I think obesity is no ones falt but there own. We have been told about fats in our diet for years. So the choise is yours if you put it in your mouth. We all need to stop blaming others for the decisions we make. Paula Deen is a great cook, and I agree that everything is good in moderation.

my daughter's school has gym everyday...they encourage salads and they make you sign up for AT LEAST one sport (a note from parent will excuse you). most kids walk everywhere and they' just recently banned most sodas. yet about 60 percent of the kids there are huge! i wonder why..

Susan as a kid of the 60's & 70's I can say w/experience that we did have fatty foods & actually we had a LOT of them.... We did have hamburgers & hot dogs for lunch etc. I think the big difference when we were kids (just my opinion) is that we had a LOT LESS homework & when we came home from school we went HOME. We didn't go to day care & when we got there mom was at home & then we went out to play.... It was a completely different world we were living in & we'd hop on a bike & ride home from school w/out school books in the baskets. You're right we did walk to & from school & we could bike as well. We also had an hr. for lunch & in that hour I went home for lunch which was probably a 10 minute walk..... I don't think schools even permit this any more. & everything now is in excess. Paula Deen is RIGHT the stress should be on moderation! When I was a kid the kids who had a weight issue where the ones who's parents had a weight issue & who were dieting & they had no food in the house & would over do it when they got elsewhere... Moderation people...

To “Susan” I don’t understand what medieval times you are speaking about. People used to be skinny because they didn’t have money for food. I know that normal women used to have curves and an average size was way above a 2. My family is from Europe and they told me that in the 1940’s and up until recent times women used to be thick and it was fine. In fact, if a woman was not a size 8-12 she was considered to have had some sort of illness and no one would marry her. As far as I can remember there were busses, and no one walked 3 miles to school. This is one of those ancient legends that grandparents tell their grandchildren to show how good kids have it now.

The other side of the story, parents too concerned about fat babies. Honestly, I've heard of pediatricians telling parents to increase the fat content of their babies diet because the poor child is in danger of starvation. I've lived long enough to see skinny youngsters balloon and fat youngsters trim down. Alot has to do with the childs natural growth and alot of youngsters get chubby before the onset of adolescence and a sudden burst of growth. Often, young men who are extremely athletic and consume a lot of food to support their bodies while they are working out, tend to lose the workout while maintaining their old eating habits and end up overweight.

I saw the View that day and I believe Barbara was out of line to hit Paula with that on the air. As a parent I am smart enough to judge what to fix or not fix for my family and I do not need anyone else telling me. If I choose to buy Paula's cookbook and cook from it occasionally that is my concern and not Barbara Walters. I do feel she does not bring much to the table at the View and is out of step with most of her audiance. Don't get me wrong I like her specials, people know she is going to make embarrassing points but she needs to leave the View to the younger ladies.